(AFP) Athens on Monday accused smugglers from Turkey of trying to send more than a thousand migrants to Greek islands, before the boats were detected in the Aegean and turned back.
Greek Merchant Navy Minister Yannis Plakiotakis said Turkish smugglers had “tried to disembark” about 1,130 refugees on Greek islands in the last three days.
Greek authorities have “turned back the smuggling boats in 24 separate incidents,” the minister told private radio station Real in an interview.
The boats had tried to reach the islands of Chios, Kos, Lesbos, Rhodes and Samos, Plakiotakis’ ministry said in a statement.
Greek coastguards said none of the boats entered Greek waters and that “all foreigners were rescued by Turkish marine authorities.”
